With Faith alone, Protestants are dead, spiritually dead. To have the life of Christ in you, you must do good works, charitable acts. This seems to disagree with St. Paul who says:

“But knowing that man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” [Galatians 2:16].

The Bible, however, cannot disagree with itself, therefore St. Paul must be talking about a different kind of works, the works of the old law that Jesus criticized, saying:

“All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not.” [Matthew 23:3]

Actually, St. Paul is in agreement but uses the word “charity” instead of the word “works” used by St. James.

Supporting verses:

2a. “What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?” [James 2:14]

2b. “So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.” [James 2:17]

2c. “But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works:” shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith. [James 2:18]

2d. “Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only?” [James 2:24]

2e. “For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead.” [James 2:26]

3. “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.” [2 Peter 3:16]

Conclusion:

The Bible alone is not sufficient. A teaching authority (the Church) is necessary to teach the truth and settle diasgreements between two or more people.

Supporting verses:

3a. “Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation.” [2 Peter 1:20]

3c. “Who said: And how can I, unless some man shew me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.” [Acts Of Apostles 8:31]

4. “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more now in my absence,) with fear and trembling work out your salvation.” [Philippians 2:12]

Conclusion:

Protestants are not already saved. Salvation is not guaranteed.

Supporting verses:

4a. “Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 7:21]

5. “It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” [2 Machabees 12:46]

Conclusion:

Purgatory exists.

Supporting verses:

5a. “Be at agreement with thy adversary betimes, whilst thou art in the way with him: lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison [purgatory]. Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing.” [Matthew 5:25-26]

5b. “That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth [purgatory].” [Philippians 2:10]

5c. “And no man was able, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth [purgatory], to open the book, nor to look on it.” [Apocalypse (Revelation) 5:3]

5d. “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.” [Matthew 12:32]

6. “And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” [Matthew 16:18]

Conclusion:

Jesus founded a church which operated without Bibles for 1500 years. Therefore, the Church came first, then Bibles. Furthermore, The Church told us which are the inspired books of the Bible (all 73 of them) at the Roman Council in 382 A.D.

Supporting verses:

6a. And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican. [Matthew 18:17]

6b. “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” [1 Timothy 3:15]

7. “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” [John 20:23]

Conclusion:

If a man falls into sin, he needs a way to become worthy to received the body and blood of Christ (see 1d above). He becomes worth by confessing his sins to one who has the power to forgive sins, such as a Catholic priest.

8. “And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” [Luke 1:28]

Conclusion:

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was full of grace. How could she be full of grace without being baptized? Answer: She was concieved without original sin, unlike any other human, except Jesus. Protestants claim that Catholics worship Mary which is against the first commandment. However, the first half of the “Hail Mary”, which Catholics say, is taken out of the Bible (see 8a below) and the second half is merely asking Her to pray for us.

Supporting verses:

8a. “And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” [Luke 1:42]